Gate shearing-machine.



No. 7|2-,244. Patented out". 28, I902.

V B. A. BEBTSDH;

GATE SHEABING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 7. 1902-) (No Model.)

Witnesses: Inventor I 3/ a 238 5 w W Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES A; ,BERTSOH, OF CAMBRIDGE INDIANA.

GATE-SHEARING- -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of "Letters Patent No. 712,244, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed April 7,1902. erial ll'o. ,663. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BERTSCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge City, Wayne county, Indian a, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate ShearingMachines, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention, relating to gate shearingmachines, will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gate shearing-machine of ordinary general construction, but embodying an exemplication of my present invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section of the same, and Fig. 4C a rear elevation of the bail-bar and its attached pitmen.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the housings; 2, the table; 3, the bed shear-blade; 4, the gate; 5, the top shear-blade carried by the gate; 6, the cross-tie extending from housing to housing at the rear of the gate; 7, the rock-shaft; 8, the actuating-levers mounted on the rock-shaft; 9, the actuating-cylinder secured to one of the housings; 9, the bailbar horizontally disposed over the actuatinglevers 8, one of its ends being carried by the plunger of cylinder 9; 10, the holddown rockshaft; 11, the shackles connecting the forward ends of levers 8 with gate 4; 12, the holddown-actuating cylinder; 13, the link connected with the plunger of holddown-cylinder 12; 14, the arm fast on holddown rockshaft 10 and coupled to link 13; 15, the holddown-arms fast to the holddown rock-shaft 10 and projecting forwardly over the gate; 16, the links depending from the forward end of holddown arms 15 to connect with the holddown-bar, all of the parts thus far re ferred to having or lending themselves, so far as my present invention is concerned, to any of the ordinary constructions usual or suitable in this class of shearing-machines; 17, a holddown-bar disposed horizontally across the machine between the housings, forward of the gate and connected to the lower ends of holddown-links 16 and capable of vertical motion, as usual, this holddown-bar instead of being disposed low down, so that its lower portion is comparatively close to the plate to be sheared, being disposed comparatively high up, so as to be entirely above the upper shearblade; 18, gag-rods suspended from pivots carried by the face of the holddown-bar, the lower ends of these gag-rods forming or being provided with soles, preferably convex, adapted to press down upon and hold the sheet which is to be sheared, these gag-rods being adapted to be turned upwardly to a position above their pivots; 19, the second actuating-cylinder, corresponding with the first actuating-cylinder 9, but of less diameter, this actuating-cylinder being secured at the housing which is opposite the one carryingcylinder 9, the plunger of this second actuating-cylinder taking hold of the bail-bar 9 at the end opposite the one'engaged by the plunger of cylinder 9; 20, pitmen engaging the bail-bar 9 and the rear ends of actuatinglevers 8; 21, a turnbuckle or length-adjuster provided upon that one of the pitmen 20 which pertains to the intermediate one of actuating-levers 8, there being three of these actuating-levers, one at each side of the machine and one at an intermediate point in its width, preferably at the center of width of the machine, and 22 hooks or attaching devices at the upper edge of holddown-bar17, above the gag-rods 18, to which the gag-rods 18 maybe secured when turned into upward position.

When the gag-rods are in active position, they project downwardly, as indicated, their soles pressing upon the plate to be sheared, the gag-rods in such case acting in the same manner as is usual with the lower edge of the holddo'wn-baror such projections as are usually provided at its lower edge, but without hiding the cutting-line on the work. When the shear-blade is to be inspected or adjusted or the holddown is not wanted, then the gagrods are turned to upward position and may be there secured by binding them to the hooks Under these conditions the lower portion of the front of the gate and the entire upper shear-blade are fully open to inspection and adjustment quite uninterfered with by any of the holddown parts. The holddown is given its movement of pressure and release in the usual manner. 7

The actuating-cylinders 9 and 19 give motion to the shear-gate in the usual manner;

but by reason of these cylinders being of dissimilar area three difierent rates and powers of working become available. Thus the machine may be operated with the smaller cylinder alone, giving the lowest rate of working, or it may be operated by the larger cylinder alone, thus giving an increased rate of working, or it may be operated by both cylinders conjointly, thus giving still further increase in the rate of working.

In the working of machines of this general class with only a pair of the actuating-levers 8, one 1ever near each of the housings and the power being applied by the plungers at points outwardly beyond those levers, there is a tendency for the bail-bar 9 to deflect at the center under the strain, and there is also in such constructions always more or less lost motion in the parts, which becomes taken up under the strain of the cut and finally gives up with a jerk near or after the termination of the cut. The labor of these machines is particularly arduous, and even with the most refined provisions for taking up lost motion at the various journals it is found impracticable to reduce the lost motion to such a degree that the accumulation of the lost motion at various points will not be of considerable moment as regards the smooth working of the machine. I therefore add an intermediate actuating-lever and its concomitant pitman 20 and shackle 11. The mere addition of these parts would not of themselves affect the matter of lost motion just considered, the only effect of the addition being to cause three levers, &c., to do the work previously done by two; but in the present case I provide the pitman 20 of the intermediate lever with a length-adjusting device 21, preferably in the form of a turnbuckle, by means of which that pitman can be lengthened. The parts being stationary and all the pitmen being of the same length, it will be manifest that there will be lost motion at all of the pivot-points of the system or at both ends of shackles 11 and at both ends of pitman 20, the shear-gate being suspended by the levers, which find their abutment at bail-bar 9. Upward movement of the plungers while the shear-gate resists descent results in the taking up of the lost motion before the working pressure comes upon the gate; but to avoid this condition of afiairs I employ length-adjusting device 21 and lengthen the pitman of the intermediate lever until that lever and its parts are put under strains the reverse of working strains, the tendency of this strain being to raise the shear-gate and to push upward upon the intermediate portion of the bail-bar. Under these conditions there is no lost motion and the intermediate lever and its accessories are not devices for transmitting working strains to the sheargate. This system not only avoids lost motion in the actuating parts, but also serves in trussing the bail-bar 9. The central position for the added lever is the preferable one, and a single lever is suflicient; but it is manifest that instead of a single central one there may be a plurality of these added levers and their parts provided for the purpose of avoiding lost motion and for trussing the bail-bar. In carrying out this feature of my invention it is manifest that having provided the additional lever or levers the desired result can be accomplished by lengthening the pitman or pitmen of the added lever or levers or by shortening the pitmen of the working levers, and it is also manifest that this adjustment of length to put the additional lever or levers under strain in a direction the reverse of that of the working levers may be effected by appropriately lengthening or shortening the shackles 11, it being obvious that pitman 20 and shackles 11 are, in eifect, merely shackles or pitmen at opposite ends of the levers.

I claim as my invention 1. In a gate shearing-machine, the combi nation, substantially as set forth, of housings, a table, a lower shear-blade, a sheargate, an upper shear-blade secured thereto, mechanism for actuating the shear-blade, a holddown-bar disposed in front of the gate and above the upper shear-blade, mechanism for actuating the holddown-bar, and gagrods pivoted to the holddown-bar and arranged in suspended position to press the work to the table and adapted also to be turned upward to positions above their pivots.

2. In a gate shearing-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of housings, a table, a lower shear-blade, a gate, an upper shear-blade secured thereto, a rockshaft, actuating-levers thereon, shackles connecting said levers with the gate, a bail-bar, pitmen connecting the bail-bar with the actuating-levers, and a pair of dissimilar-sized actuating-cylinders having their plungers connected with the bail-bar.

3. In a gate shearing-machine, the combi nation, substantially as set forth, of housings, a table, a lower shear-blade, a gate, an upper shear-blade secured thereto, a rockshaft, a pair of levers on the rock-shaft, shackles connecting those levers with the gate, a bail-bar, pitmen connecting the bailbar with said actuating-levers, mechanism for actuating the bail-bar, an additional lever mounted on the rock-shaft, a shackle connecting the additional lever with the gate, a pitman connecting the additional lever with the bail-bar, and means for adjusting the length of the connection at one end of said additional lever relative to the length of the connections at the corresponding end of said actuating-levers.

CHARLES A. BERTSOI'I.

Witnesses C. S. RIGGIN, O. E. HOWARD. 

